Nahan (HP), Mar 6 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said he has sought a report on the felling of hundreds of trees in Sirmaur district’s Shillai.
Interacting with mediapersons, the chief minister said he saw reports on social media regarding cutting of the trees on private land in Shillai Nagar Panchayat area. Taking note of it, he has sought a report from the department in this regard.
The spot where these trees were felled is far from the main road, and there is no link road to connect this point, he added.
Nathuram Chauhan, an environmental activist from the Shillai, alleged that a large number of illegal tree fellings and mining activities were occurring on a large scale in the area, under the political patronage of the ruling Congress party.
He told PTI on Friday that he demanded a high-level enquiry into the matter, as huge damage to the environment was caused continuously in the area, right under the nose of officers.
When contacted, Renuka Ji constituency’s Divisional Forest Officer Baldev Raj told PTI that the department initiated strict action in the matter after receiving information. He said permission was granted to fell 25 trees, but the landowners felled many more.
Former BJP MLA from Shillai constituency and BJP’S state spokesperson, Baldev Singh Tomar alleged that nearly 400 trees, including pine trees, were axed there and demanded strict action against those involved in illicit tree felling. PTI COR BPL PRK
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